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brisket #1

I’m not from Texas, so I’m still learning about the religion that is beef barbecue. Although brisket can seem a little intimidating, it’s actually pretty easy to cook.

Rosemary oven-roasted brisket
1 whole brisket, raw and unprocessed. I say this because they sell the corned beef brisket that has already been cured and seasoned. That’s not the one you want for this process, although it might be grounds for another post.
Several sprigs or leaves of rosemary. Fresh is better, but not critical.
Neutral oil
Salt
Roasting rack. While this step is optional, if you don’t raise it and let the air circulate around it, you’ll need to flip the meat about halfway through to get the same texture on both sides. If not, one side will crisp and the other side will steam.

Oven at 225 regular or 200 convection. I think my oven has a maximum run timer on it and won’t go for more than about 12 hours. While you can cook it at higher temperature, what we’ve learned from sous vide cooking is that the closer you hold it at the final temperature (in this case 190-195 like pork shoulder) the more even it is.

Your goal is a bit of charred crust and slightly toothsome meat. If the meat is at all tough, you can overcome this by slicing across the direction of the muscle fibers and cutting on an angle.

The picture shows it as an open faced sandwich with barbecue sauce and sandwich pickles. I think it probably tasted better when served without bread and no sauce, but do it however you want.